Strains of Silence

Synopsis:

Music was her driving passion and the truest expression of her faith, but three months before her wedding, twenty-year-old Kasia Bernolak can’t even pick up her guitar. Feeling like a fraud who will ruin her dad’s pastoral reputation, she can barely meet his eyes. When Kasia finds the strength to break off her engagement, she still doesn’t realize the dangerous truth: Blake Hamilton isn’t ready to say goodbye. And he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her.

Alexander “Zan” Maddox has seen what a domineering man can do to an unsuspecting woman, and Zan is sick of injustice. He gave up a college baseball scholarship so he could protect his sister from her abusive husband. When he rescues Kasia from her ex-fiancé, he instinctively appoints himself her personal bodyguard. Now, all he has to do is keep from falling for her himself.

Kasia and Zan become fast friends, but true healing and justice might cost more than either of them is willing to pay.

This was a hard book to read. I didn’t realize that it was going to deal so much with domestic violence and rape.

What I liked about the book:
The story was not left in a hopeless state. The theme throughout the book was about the healing that Jesus can bring. Zan (I love that as a nickname!) was a great hero and I loved the way he was so protective of his sister and of Kasia. I did also like the way the friends were so supportive, and Kasia’s sweet parents. The writing was very good as well.

What I didn’t like:
The overall tone of the book was angsty. Kasia didn’t have any hope and that pulled down the tone of it. It was also a little overdone with the abuse and rape. Not only did Kasia deal with these, but Zan’s sister was beat up by her husband and ended up in a medical coma with doubt that she would be able to walk again. And another character had also been raped (don’t want to give a spoiler here). Somehow that seemed overdone. I would have liked this more if the tone wasn’t so dark and without so many recountings of violence towards the women.